Car wash apparatus



y 3, 1969 w. J. LYNN ETAL 3,443,993

CAR WASH APPARATUS Filed Aug. 16, 1967 Sheet 1- of 2 I4 {6 INVENTORS.

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cAR WASH APPARATUS Filed Aug. 16, 1967 Sheet of 2 Fig. 3.

INVENTORS. WILLIAM J. Lylwv and By James R loaP 33 wwwwmawz w ifinreqs United States Patent 3,443,993 CAR WASH APPARATUS William J. Lynn, Indianapolis, and James P. Loop, K0- komo, Ind., assignors t0 Launders of Indiana Inc., Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Aug. 16, 1967, Ser. No. 660,943 Int. Cl. B605 3/04; B08b 3/02 US. Cl. 134-123 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for washing cars and the like having a serpentine cam track, a cam follower piloting on the serpentine cam track, and linkage means coupling the cam follower to vertically and horizontally directed pivotally mounted nozzles.

Background of the invention Field of the inventi0n.-The field of the invention is generally washing, scrubbing and general cleaning, and more particularly cleaning apparatus having jet spray nozzles and nozzle positioning means.

Description of the prior art.-Many devices are known for the washing of motor vehicles. They range in size and complexity from relatively simple attachments for garden hoses to large, complex fully automatic apparatus such as that disclosed in Schmidt, 2,948,907. Some vehicle apparatus, such as that disclosed in Wilson, 2,854,680 and Frank, 3,134,117, are especially suited for washing large commercial vehicles.

While each of the above mentioned apparatus is well suited for its intended application, there still exists a need for a less complex washing apparatus suitable for unattended coin operated installations. Unattended coin operated car wash apparatus is not broadly new, there having been in use for some time now many installations having a hose and a spray nozzle for manual operation. Upon inserting the proper coins, there is dispensed through the nozzle first a water-detergent mixture and, second, a jet of rinse water, each for predetermined periods of time. Because the user must manually direct the spray nozzle, it is quite often the case that he fails to completely cover the surface of his car with detergent before the detergentwater flow stops and the rinse water starts. Also, it is quite likely that the user will be splashed with water or detergent while using the apparatus.

It is desirable that unattended coin operated car wash apparatus be made as automatic as possible, while at the same time being trouble free, long-lived, rugged and comparatively simple in structure and operation. The apparatus of the present invention is suitable for unattended coin operated installations. It is fully automatic, and thereby eliminates the need for the user to expose himself to splashes of water and detergent. At the same time, it is relatively simple in construction in that it relies upon water jet cleaning action rather than complex brush mechanisms.

Summary of the invention The present invention is a car wash apparatus of novel structure having a suspended T-rail, an inverted L-shaped housing mounted for movement along the T-rail and nozzles pivotally mounted on the housing. In plan view, the T-rail is substantially rectangular with rounded corners. As the housing moves along the length of the T-rail, it completely travels around the car being washed. The nozzles are pivotally mounted to the housing in both vertical and horizontal planes. To insure that every portion of the surface of the vehicle being washed will be sprayed a plurality of times while the housing makes one excursion of the track, an oscillatory motion is imparted to the nozzles.

The oscillatory motion of the nozzles is provided by a serpentine cam track positioned adjacent the T-rail. A cam follower mounted on the housing pilots on the serpentine cam track and is thereby oscillated as the housing travels along the T-rail. The oscillatory motion of the cam follower is imparted to the nozzles through a belt and pulley linkage arrangement enclosed within the housing. The fluid supply to the nozzles is provided by a flexible hose connected between the housing and a swivel coupling suspended above the apparatus, for example from a ceiling, and approximately centered within the T-rail configuration.

The apparatus may be powered by a drive unit located externally of the T-rail. For example, chain sprockets may be mounted at each corner of the T-rail and carry an endless roller chain attached to the housing. The drive unit may drive one of the sprockets, the other three sprockets being idlers.

It will 'be seen that the car wash apparatus of the present invention is relatively simple in structure, has no complex brush mechanisms, can be built quite ruggedly, and is well suited for coin operated unattended installations.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified automatic car wash apparatus.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a car wash apparatus especially suitable for coin operated unattended installations.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a car wash apparatus that is simple to use, requiring no special skills of the user.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description of the preferred embodiment proceeds, reference being made also to the attached drawings and appended claims.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic plan view ofthe apparatus of the present invention, partly in section.

FIG. 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic cross sectional view of the housing of the apparatus of the present invention taken generally along the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective drawing of the linkage enclosed within the housing of the apparatus of the present invention.

Description of the preferred embodiments As shown in FIG. 1, there is a garage-like enclosure 11 having a top 12, side walls 1'3 and ends 14. Each of the ends v14 has a door 16 through which an automobile may be driven into or out of the enclosure 11. Suspended from the top 12 by a plurality of brackets 21 is a support rail which may be a T-rail 22. Rails other than a T-rail may be used, however it has been found that a T-rail is quite satisfactory. The T-rail 22 is subtantially horizontal and rectangular in plan view and has rounded corners 23.

An inverted L-shaped housing 26 is mounted to travel around the T-rail. The details of the housing 26 are shown in FIG. 2. Rollers 27 support the housing 26 on the T-rail 22, with at least one roller 27 piloting on either side of the T-rail as shown in FIG. 2. The L-shaped housing 26 has a horizontal portion 28 and a vertical portion 29; A cam follower shaft 31 is pivotally mounted at the top of the vertical portion 29 with one end extending through the top of the housing 26. A first nozzle shaft 32 is vertically mounted for pivoting in the horizontal portion 28, and a second nozzle shaft 33 is horizontally mounted for pivoting near the bottom of the vertical portion 29'. Two pulleys 37 and 38 are afiixed to the cam follower shaft 31. Similarly, a pulley 39 is aflixed to the first nozzle 3 shaft 32 and a pulley 40 is aflixed to the second nozzle shaft 33. A belt 41 connects the pulley 37 to the pulley 39. A belt 42 passing over idler pulleys 43, as shown in FIG. 2, connects the pulley 38 to the pulley 40.

Each corner 23 of the T-rail is provided with a large wheel 51 having a radius substantially equal to the mean radius of the T-rail corners 23. The wheel 51 may be in the form of a pulley with circumferentially mounted shoes for receiving a cable or in the form of a sprocket as shown in the drawing for receiving a roller chain. An endless flexible drive member 52, which may be a cable or a roller chain as shown in the drawings is received on the sprocket wheels 51 as best shown in FIG. 1. Intermediate the sprocket wheels 51, a horizontal trough 53 mounted to the brackets 21 slidably supports the drive member 52. As shown in FIG. 1, the T-rail has no support brackets 21 in the corners because of the wheels 51. One of the wheels 51 may be coupled to a drive unit 54 while the other three wheels 51 are idlers.

A serpentine cam track 58 supported by brackets 59 afiixed to the top 12 is located upwardly and outwardly from theT-rail 22 as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

A drive arm 63 having a generally inverted hook shape couples the housing 26 to the drive member 52 as shown in FIG. 2. It will be seen that rotation of one of the wheels 51 by the drive unit 54 drives the drive member 52 over all the wheels 51. The drive member 52 drives the housing 26 through the drive arm 63 to cause the housing 26 to travel around the T-rail 22.

Mounted on the upper end of the cam follower shaft 31 is a cam follower 65 having an arm 66 and a pair of rollers 67 which pilot upon the serpentine cam track 58 as illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 3. As the housing travels around the T-rail, the cam follower 65 piloting on the serpentine cam track 58 imparts an oscillatory motion to the cam follower shaft 31. By means of the belts and pulleys heretofore described and illustrated schematically in FIG. 3, oscillatory motions are imparted to the nozzle shafts 32 and 33.

Mounted to each nozzle shaft 32 and 33 is a pipe T- fitting 70. The opening of the T-fitting 7(l affixed to each of the nozzle shafts 32 and 33 is hydraulically sealed. The opening of the T-fitting 70 opposite the nozzle shafts 32 and 33 receives a short pipe nipple 71. Mounted to each nipple 7.1 is a pair of opposed nozzle arms 72 having at their ends nozzles 73 directed at right angles to the nozzle arms 72 and parallel to the respective nozzle shafts 32 and 33.

Another T-fitting 76 is mounted on the vertical portion 29 of the housing 26 in spaced relation below the horizontal portion 28. A flexible rubber hose is connected to the T-fitting 76 and to swivel fitting 78 mounted to the top 12 at a place substantially horizontally centered within the T-rail 22. A rubber hose 79 lying in substantially a horizontal plane connects one opening of the T-fitting 76 to one opening of the T-fitting 70 affixed to the first nozzle shaft 32. A rubber hose 80 lying in substantially a vertical plane connects the other opening of the T-fitting 76 to the T-fitting 70 aflixed to the second nozzle shaft 33.

In operation, the apparatus of the present invention is driven by the drive unit 54 which, as explained above, through the wheels 51 and drive member 52 drives the housing 26, causing it to travel around the T-rail 22. As the housing 26 travels around the T-rail 22, the serpentine cam track '58 and cam follower 65, also as explained above, impart an oscillatory motion to each of the nozzle shafts 32 and 33. The oscillatory motion of the nozzle shafts 32 and 33 is imparted to the nozzle arms 72 to cause the nozzles to oscillate about their respective nozzle shafts as the housing 26 travels around the T-rail 22. Water, or water and detergent, supplied to the hose 77 under pressure through the swivel fitting 7 8 passes through the T-fitting 76, the hoses 79 and 80, the T-pipe fittings 70, the nozzle arms 72 and through the nozzles 73 to be discharged as jets. In view of the foregoing, it can be seen that an automobile positioned in the enclosure 11 within the area circumscribed by the T-rail 22 will be sprayed by the nozzle 73. By properly selecting the period and amplitude of the serpentine cam track 58, the length of the arm 66 of the cam follower 65, and the relative diameters of the pulleys 37, 38, 39 and 40, the period and amplitude of the oscillatory motion of the nozzles 73 may be controlled within a wide range. One combination of dimensions that has been found to work quite satisfactorily is twenty-four inches for a complete cycle of the serpentine cam track 58 with an average peak to peak amplitude of approximately five and one-half inches. With the length of the cam follower arm 66 being approximately six and three-quarters inches, the cam follower shaft 65 oscillates approximately 22 degrees to either side of center and makes one complete oscillation for each twenty-four inches that the housing 26 travels along the T-rail 22. The ratio of the diameters of the pulley 37 to the pulley 39 and the pulley 38 to the pulley 40 is approximately 8.25 to 1. This combination of dimensions provides an oscillation of each nozzle shaft 32 and 33 approximately degrees either side of center, insuring that every portion of the surface of a vehicle properly positioned within the apparatus will be sprayed a plurality of times during one travel of the housing 26 around the T-rail 22. Auxiliary apparatus, well known in the art, may be programmed to deliver a water and detergent mixture to the nozzles 73 during a first travel of the housing 26 around the T-rail 22, and to deliver rinse water to the nozzles 73 during a second travel of the housing 26 around the T-rail 22. In this manner, the first travel of the housing around the T-rail may be called a wash cycle and the second travel a rinse cycle.

It will be seen that the apparatus of the present invention provides an improved car wash apparatus. It is relatively simple in construction and operation, is rugged, and is especially Well adapted for coin operated non-attended installations.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims are also desired to be protected. For example, the corner portions 44 of the serpentine cam track 58 may be modified from'the configuration shown in the drawings to differently position the nozzles 73 when the housing 26 is passing through one of the corners of the T-rail. Similarly, the period and amplitude of the serpentine cam track 58 may be varied to fit particular applications.

The invention claimed is:

1. A car wash apparatus comprising:

a suspended rail having a generally rectangular configuration with rounded corners;

a housing mounted for travel upon said rail;

nozzles pivotally mounted to said housing; and

oscillating means coupled to said nozzles for imparting an oscillatory motion to said nozzles, said oscillating means including a serpentine cam track mounted adjacent said rail.

2. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising drive means for driving said housing around said rail.

3. The invention according to claim 2 wherein said drive means includes a wheel mounted for rotation at each corner of said rail, an endless flexible drive member received about said wheels, and a drive unit for driving one of said wheels, said housing being connected to said endless flexible drive member.

4. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said nozzles are connected to nozzle shafts pivotally mounted to said housing and said oscillating means includes a cam follower shaft pivotally mounted to said housing, a cam follower mounted on said cam follower shaft and piloting on said serpentine cam track and linkage means coupling said cam follower shaft to said nozzle shafts.

S. The invention according to claim 4 wherein said linkage means includes a first pulley mounted on said cam follower shaft, a second pulley mounted on one of said nozzle shafts and a belt connecting said first pulley to said second pulley.

6. The invention according to claim 4 wherein said nozzle shafts includes a first nozzle shaft and a second nozzle shaft, said first nozzle shaft being vertically mounted to said housing and said second nozzle shaft being horizontally mounted to said housing.

7. The invention according to claim 6 wherein said nozzle include a first pair of nozzles mounted on a pair of opposed nozzle arms afiixed to said first nozzle shaft and a second pair of nozzles mounted on a pair of opposed nozzle arms afiixed to said second nozzle shaft, said first pair of nozzles being downwardly directed and said second pair of nozzles being horizontally directed.

8. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising means for supplying said nozzles with water under pressure.

9. The invention according to claim 8 wherein said means for supplying said nozzles with water includes a swivel fitting suspended above said rail and substantially horizontally centered therewithin, a first flexible hose connected to said swivel fitting and, a second flexible hose connected between said first flexible hose and said nozzles.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,558,472 6/1951 Wilcox 134-123 XR 2,597,132 5/1952 Smith 134-181 2,896,857 7/1959 Tompkins 134-181 XR 3,167,797 2/1965 Hergonson 134-180 XR 3,339,565 9/1967 Williams 134-180 XR 3,391,701 7/1968 Richardson et al. 134-123 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,218,212 5/1960 France.

ROBERT L. BLEUTGE, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

